British Guy Reacts To The HIGHEST PAID Athlete Ever 大谷翔平 | Shohei Ohtani

[@zacharyliles8657]

If Messi was simultaneously the greatest goalkeeper in the world that's basically what Shohei Ohtani is

[@khaikhuc1432]

And Ronaldo's work ethic.

[@oyamadayasuto2590]

well said

[@johnhenry9453]

nah... you are delusional. In football (soccer), what Shohei Ohtani does is comparable to being an attacker and a defender at the same time, and that always happens in many games when the game needed it.. thats why footballers are great athletes... be goalscorer and goalkeeper is imposible, is like to be a pitcher and the catcher at the same time.

[@zacharyliles8657]

@@johnhenry9453 Hey man, no need to be rude and call me delusional over a sports opinion. I think of it as though Messi plays forward for four games and then keeper for 1, kinda like how Shohei only pitches every five games, but just my opinion 🤷‍♂

[@SylviusTheMad]

@@johnhenry9453 Not impossible. Jose Luis Chilavert was both the keeper and top goal scorer of the Paraguayan national team.

[@Il_Exile_lI]

Tommy John was a pitcher that played in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. In 1974 he tore his UCL tendon, a fairly common pitching injury that had, to that point, always been a career ending injury. The same injury ended the career of Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax a few years prior. However, Dr. Frank Jobe performed an experimental surgery on Tommy John, replacing the UCL with a tendon from another part of the body. After about a year of recovery, Tommy John was able to return and pitched another 14 years in MLB, well into his 40s. Since then, Tommy John surgery has become very common among pitchers, especially in modern times where an increased focus on velocity has led to more UCL injuries than ever. Tommy John surgery is performed on tons of players these days, some even having had it twice.

[@a00141799]

Excellent explanation. I grew up in the LA area during the 70;s and Tommy John played for my beloved Dodgers. I remember him distinctly because of his pitching style and the fact that I was a little league pitcher trying to emulate him. You've done a great job explaining how nearly impossible it is to fully recover from this surgery. Learning to throw breaking balls as a kid was murder on my elbow and eventually led me to go into the outfield. Over the years many pitchers have undergone this surgery and only a few of them were able to return to their presurvey velocities.

[@BritishGuy22]

Thanks for the info!

[@JohnLee-cb8ez]

Thank you. We have Google too.

[@sixtynine2856]

Is that a funny joke. I always thought Tommy John was a play on words on the actual name of the surgery that sounded similar to "Tommy John".

[@NotSomeJustinWithoutAMoustache]

@@JohnLee-cb8ez Oh shut it, British Guy literally asked what Tommy Johns was during the video so of course someone was going to answer or clarify it in the comments, if you already knew about this beforehand then this comment wasn't for you.

[@noname-dk7ri]

He is very attractive not only for his competitive performance but also for his mindset. He did not pursue money. He pursued his life purely as a player. I am very attracted to him as a way of life.

[@cindymmm11]

I am attracted to his handsome face. 😍❤️

[@dicedicedaiKomusaPS]

I was a college student in Japan during Ohtani's first year in MLB and I got multiple "F"s for watching his games during classes and also skipping classes to watch his games with friends. The same year, I had to turn in my report card for my job interview, and I was asked to explain the "F"s. I told the interviewer that I loved sports and I just couldn't"t get my eyes off what Ohtani did every game. I passed the interview and I now watch Ohtani game with my boss, the interviewer back then. Being caught up with whatever he does everyday was almost as important as following world news in Japan lmafo.

[@bevrosity]

shows how much they care about baseball over there. fantastic

[@stevest8675]

That is not good. Take care of your education and career first. Sport and entertainment come second or third.

[@DulcisAbsentia]

I’ve recently found about Ohtani (almost 2 years ago) and now I’m a fan. The man is bringing new people and influence into baseball which many old baseball fans said that was on brick of vanishing, not having the same impact and interest that it had before. This video was perfect to explain the greatness that this man possesses. I think that each sport category has its own GOAT, in baseball is Shohei Ohtani like in figure skating is Yuzuru Hanyu (both Japanese and both crazy talented, obsessed with perfection in their sport and I’m fan of both) etc…

[@tocu98]

Look up the 2021 video of every home run hit called by the opposing teams annoucer. Its one of the more wonderous things I have ever watched. The crowds in Anaheim kinda mild, the way stadium you get some boos maybe a tossing the ball back or 2, the accouncers have little energy to start with. You hit about 20 hr as he takes the MLB HR lead an you hear all those shift more in his favor you get to around 30 everyone knows they are watching history and there is electricty and the volume goes up. I have never watched anything like that before.

[@nothisis]

Don't worry he is a happy dude, he seems to find happiness everywhere he is. Dude is friendly and polite (even to ump/ball boys) and gives free hugs

[@jaredjordan6634]

He’s crazy good. There’s not a single other player on the planet that can do everything he does. Nobody even attempts it

[@fannybuster]

Babe Ruth

[@fannybuster]

Babe Ruth's career pitching record was 94-46, 2.28 ERA. 147 Games

[@jaredjordan6634]

@@fannybuster he quit, also that was 100 years ago lol

[@fannybuster]

@@jaredjordan6634 Makes it more impressive

[@jaredjordan6634]

@@fannybuster not really. Babe Ruth was not facing the level of pitching Shohei is and he was not facing the level of hitters Shohei is.

[@noname-dk7ri]

I love that he didn't give up on his dream even when things didn't work out. He wasn't afraid to fail and did what he wanted to do. I was inspired by his attitude. Not to mention the people around him who supported it.

[@coyotelong4349]

As someone who is a fan of both baseball and soccer (football), I can assure you that this guy is every bit the equal of Messi and Ronaldo. He is the baseball equivalent. And if Messi and Ronaldo were also world-class keepers AS WELL, that would be comparable to what Ohtani does in baseball, with both pitching and hitting

[@stevenygabbyperez695]

I think it would be easier physically to be a world-class player and goal keeper, only you can't play two positions simultaneously in football. Shohei is undeniably the best athlete in the world.

[@LinktheSamoyed]

yeah I was about to say, he would be like a top 5 striker while also being a top 5 goalie,

[@sammurphy3343]

The hit out of the Tokyo dome was a home run.

[@nanaholic01]

3:55 This is missing a lot of context. When Ohtani joined the Nippon Hams for his first professional year, he was only 19 years old. In Japan, the legal drinking age in Japan is 20. Also in some professional environment in Japan being under 20 is considered a minor. All that means if he joined his teammates and go out for a drink he would be breaking the law, and on top of which the team does have the obligation to escot him from the games back to his dorm as they are acting as his guardian since he was technically still a minor. But either way even today at 28, Ohtani doesn't drink because alcohol affects his performance and partying/drinking and recovering from the effects of alcohol cuts into his training time, both of which he doesn't like. Yes the dude is happy cos he literally breaths baseball.

[@blitztim6416]

Ohtani has a great personality. He's always joking with his teammates and with the players on the other team. He is well liked. But he can get deadly serious and super focused when it counts. It's really bewildering to see the things he has been able to do. He has set so many records. Seems every week it's a new record. And yes he is doing things that everyone thought was impossible. But he does them with ease and consistently. At the World Baseball Classic, everyone wondered what would happen if he ended up pitching to his teammate Mike Trout. It ended up that Trout came to bat with two out in the ninth inning and USA down by one run. Ohtani stuck him out and Japan won the title.

[@youlikethischainits3dollar157]

What I like about Ohtani, is that he's so humble. In Japan, there's this a fellow athlete that he's friends with (Yuzuru Hanyu, considered as G.O.A.T. in Figure Skating) , when they interacted Ohtani said "I had to do my best since we're living in the Hanyu era" Imagine, both considered living legends but his humility is just on point. He's even doing the same thing as Hanyu does in his own sport, being so polite and kind. Idunno if that's just a Japan thing to do or the coaches just tells them to act with humility and kindness.

[@stevenygabbyperez695]

As a person who watches both sports, I can assure you he is the best athlete in the history of sports. If there were a player who was the best forward and best defender in the world, maybe you could have an argument, but even that wouldn't be as physically demanding as what Shohei does.

[@prism_as2355]

bo....... jackson

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

​@@prism_as2355 No

[@gwaptiva]

@@prism_as2355 Jim... Thorpe

[@mikehunt368]

what about bo jackson? all-star in 2 pro sports?

[@gwaptiva]

@@mikehunt368 The vid mentions Bo; it fails to mention Prime

[@vladdynukes2698]

Shohei is without a doubt the best baseball player cause nobody can be an elite starting pitcher and an elite batter at the same time aside from him.

[@yui-tg4nm]

In MLB, where the world's best hitters and the world's best pitchers are gathered, Ohtani is playing at the top level of both. No doubt he will go down in history and he will be talked about. It is a great honor to witness him making history.

[@richminor3081]

He is without a doubt the most talented athlete the game has ever seen ! He is also the best ambassador for athletics across the globe ! But to be able to play both football and baseball is still the stuff of true legends !

[@mocrg]

He’s the most talented baseball player for sure. WAR stands for wins over replacement. In 2021 he led the league for many months and came in third in home runs 46 ( first was a tie at 48). In 2022 he went 15-9 with a 2.33 era. Ohtani also ranks top five in the American League in ERA, Wins, Strikeouts, Whiff Percentage and SO/9, and is just outside the top five in WHIP (the sum of a pitcher's walks and hits, divided by his total innings pitched )and Opponent's Batting Average. So you’re talking a guy who is top three hitting top five pitching. And that’s just not done. Hitters don’t pitch . And pitchers can’t hit. It’s like the goalie being your leading goal scorer.

[@jaimelannister1797]

He is not a top 3 hitter. More like top 10. Home runs aren’t the only part of hitting

[@Chinese_Name]

​@@jaimelannister1797 Ofcourse a hater is here

[@mocrg]

Update - April 2023 Ohtani has given up two runs and eight hits over 28 innings with 38 strikeouts while lowering his ERA to 0.64 - the lowest in franchise history through a pitcher's first five starts. Ohtani also extended his franchise record with his 12th consecutive start allowing two runs or fewer.

[@MyHomeIsVegas-nc1fb]

@@jaimelannister1797 Shohei is #1 in HR, SLG and OPS, #2 in RBI in MLB as of now. Also #1 in triples (with 5 other players), #7 in hits and #10 in BA. Definitely top 3 for sure.

[@jaimelannister1797]

@@MyHomeIsVegas-nc1fb he’s gone off since my comment and now it makes me look stupid. At the time of the comment he had like an .800 OPS

[@悠々彼方S]

He swam through high school, and his coach at the time said that if he had chosen swimming he would have been an Olympian. By the way, he can also illustrate well.

[@halohtani]

I am so honored to be his fan. He's such an admirable guy on and off the field. I'm so proud of everything he is and everything he strives to be. All the love and respect for him is nothing short of well deserved. He's freaking amazing ❤

[@ObieR]

I love when the Brits react to baseball videos

[@Idealdeath8304]

Tommy John is a nickname for the surgery that you get when you tear your UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in on the inside of your elbow. And workout it you can’t physically throw a box of tissues across the room let alone a baseball at 90+ mph. And can take between 12-18 months to return and play again. It’s named after. You guessed it Tommy John who was the first pitcher ever to receive the surgery. I wanna say like in the late 60s-70s

[@exia0616]

1:21 he has an existing contract with his Japanese team. If he waited to finish his contract by a couple of years more he is eligible for a full MLB contract. On his Japanese contract, just to have his team sign him there was a clause that if he wants to be posted(meaning he wants an MLB team to sign him), he can ask the team to have him posted earlier and void his remaining contract but in doing so he let go of his possible massive payday if he had waited just a bit more.

[@jaredjordan6634]

You should react to a video explaining the different types of pitches. Baseball is hard to understand if you didn’t grow up watching it but if you start to learn about pitching you really understand the cat and mouse game being played every single at bat.

[@BritishGuy22]

It's coming tomorrow!

[@kitarnold8550]

Good question at the end there. Typically it comes down to the style of the team but, considering there are only 5 STARTING pitchers(SP) on a roster, I would say pitching is more important than hitting. Now there are 9 hitters on a roster with the greatest teams having 5-6 all stars. These good teams also have really good starting pitching, which helps them make playoff runs. The relief pitchers are also super important to a baseball team. So in total, there are about 12-13 pitchers on a roster with around 5-6 good hitters. Hope this helps!

[@kitarnold8550]

so with Shohei doing both, it saves a roster spot and makes him even more valuable to a team. He could be the first $500 Million + dollar player in history

[@wbaldwin666]

The Angels were the only team that said they would let him play both ways in the MLB. They even lowered the home run line on the right field out of town score board just for him.. he's never needed it :P

[@kittylparker2614]

As long as Shohei Ohtani is on regularly, I will keep on subscribing.

[@Alex-kd5xc]

It sounds weird but blisters can completely ruin your game as a pitcher. Pitching is all about feel, and getting a blister on your throwing hand can completely throw off the way you grip a ball and how it comes out of your hand.

[@coyotelong4349]

Not to mention that blisters are often made worse and don’t get a chance to heal when on the pitching hand if nothing is done

[@mirikaku5811]

It’s not the kind of blisters that normal people have. The finger is a wreck. He also have blisters/hematoma on his hand from hitting! Because he is doing both his hand looks incredible. Normal people would not withstand that kind of pain

[@Indarow]

Last season he did an interview where he was asked to show the way he grips the ball for pitches. The interviewer asked him to show a sinker and Ohtani said he didn’t have one in his arsenal. A month or so later a pitcher threw one against him and Ohtani made a “damn, that was gnarly” face. A week later he started throwing sinkers at 100mph with almost 2 *feet* of travel for strikes. In the span of only a few games he not only learned how to throw it, but learned how to control it at an elite level. Oh, and he’s ambidextrous too. He pitches right handed but bats left handed.

[@xzzoriofr7222]

As someone who watches both baseball in soccer, the best way I can explain what ohtani is doing is that it would be like if messi put up his peak offensive numbers while also sprinting all the way down the field and putting up the defensive contribution of prime Sergio Ramos (while also playing the full 90 every league game, cup, game, and a champions league finals run), and then did it again but even better for a 2nd straight year.

[@NealB123]

It's almost impossible to put into words how good Ohtani pitches. He throws a wider variety of pitches with more variations in speed than any other pitcher in the game and has total mastery of all of them. His sweeper is virtually unhittable by anyone. It looks like it's coming right down the middle of the plate and is going to be an easy hit but at the last second it darts a foot and a half to the left and makes the batter look like a fool when he swings out of his shoes at it. His biggest problem right now is that he's on a bad team and doesn't get a lot of TV coverage in the US. He's a free agent at the end of this season and will pitching on a much bigger stage next year, probably with the Dodgers or the Yankees.

[@evahasegawa2109]

SHOHEI OTHANI IS BASEBALL ❤

[@ru40342]

Imagine football becomes much harder to play, and you have an elite attacker like Salah or Kane, but somehow that attacker is also an elite goalkeeper like Ter Stegan or Edeson, and somehow that player is also an elite speedster like Dembele or Moussa Diaby. That is pretty much Ohtani. He might not be the best ever in hitting or pitching or even the fastest, but he can do all of them at the 95th percentile. He is a far greater athlete than any previous of current footballers ever.

[@brianchar-bow3273]

This WBC victory was a historic day in which the Japanese "YAKYU" Baseball won over the American-style “Baseball”. Japanese YAKYU was derived uniquely from American-style baseball and took more than 100 years to achieve. The fact is that on this same planet, there is another baseball that exists in a different spirit than the US style. Of course, the roots of baseball are USA, but baseball that was exported to other countries from US and took root there developed in a different way. This would be a fact. the reason “why Japanese baseball is strong” in international tournaments is not because they have strong members and excellent coaches. It is because they are “not players who grew up learning baseball” in the United States. They were “educated in Japan's unique system of baseball education” when they were in high school. Americans don’t realize the importance of the unique " baseball education" system of Japanese baseball. Ohtani is undeniably a great athlete, but if he had been born and raised in the United States, the same DNA would not have grown into the Ohtani of today. He was born and raised in Japan and received a Japanese baseball education from childhood, which is why he is the player he is today. Not only the physical aspect, but also the way he thinks about baseball, his stoicism, and his gentle behavior are the result of his baseball education from his childhood to high school in Japan, and it is Japan's unique baseball education that produced the monster Otani. He is not a unicorn, but merely an honor student of Japanese high school baseball education.

[@antonioduverge3558]

Think about this, you mentioned Messi, is like Messi being the best goaler😂 and the best goalkeeper at the same time.

[@theJohnGaltLine]

Pitching versus batter question - Most would say pitcher. It's easier to replace run production than it is to get an Ace of the pitching staff (which Ohtani is). After this season, he becomes a free agent. His contract could easily go for $600 million as he essentially fills two roles at all-star levels. Side note, blisters on the pitcher's hands are a big deal as silly as it might sound. They lose grip, which means less rotation (effectiveness) and less control in general. You will sometimes see pitchers giving themselves what essentially is a manicure while on the bench.

[@cbtowers4841]

Oh, I bet he’s happy. Look at him. He’s so dang cheerful on the field. Actually that mentality of being almost obsessively focused on one thing that you love is actually not surprising in Japan. Seen it before in different situations and degrees from regular Japanese people. My kid is being raised in Japan and I’ve seen her willingly spend hours focused on her origami everyday, ignoring the TV and snacks. Unheard of in my youth. 😂

[@Aesong15]

Dude just imagine if Ronaldo (work ethic), Messi(skills), and Iker casillas(defense), are the same person. Same workload, that’s how awesome he is. Both offense and defense. No one has the mental capability to actually do it. It’s too much.

[@rp3569]

Do more content from this channel

[@everlastknubbe]

The ball that he hit through the roof of the Tokyo Dome was deemed a ground rule double. Only 2 bases. Not classed as a home run.

[@Mullet-ZubazPants]

Even Babe Ruth is not really a comparison, when you take into account that Ruth was a two-way player for only two seasons. Ohtani has been a two-way player for five MLB seasons, and is getting better, not declining. And that's not even counting the years as a two-way player in the NPB

[@mr.guillotine3766]

If you want to cover a good baseball story, you should do a video on the 2016 Chicago Cubs. It took them 108 years to win another World Series, which was the longest drought in sports (or at least American sports I believe)

[@BritishGuy22]

I'll have a look into it, thanks

[@mr.guillotine3766]

@@BritishGuy22 Sweet! The history of the team is interesting in general. One of the only teams who weren't winning that still had a pretty large fan base outside of Chicago. The ballpark, announcer Harry Carry, etc helped keep them popular even when they were absolute garbage...add in Sammy Sosa during the "steroid era" and there is a reason they were called the "lovable losers" for so long (well, that and not winning a World Series for over 100 years lol)

[@johndee759]

He needs to win the World Series.

[@antonioduverge3558]

He won the WBC and was the MVP, i don't think the world series is bigger than that.

[@johndee759]

@@antonioduverge3558 The World Series is bigger than the WBC. It’s best of 7.

[@imheel9727]

I’ll just say this there will always be another messi but there will probably never be another ohtani

[@coyotelong4349]

At least not in multiple generations

[@panner11]

I know this is a baseball comment section but the moniker applied to messi by football fans is "there will never be another messi". So it's kinda ironic. Both have talent that's hard to comprehend and never seen before.

[@evanlucas8733]

Definitely check out more Baseball Doesn’t Exist. His videos are fantastic

[@MyHomeIsVegas-nc1fb]

I'm so tired of hearing some people saying, "Babe Ruth was better". It was a totally different era, there is no point to compare. However, if you really want to compare him and Shohei, you need to take few things into consideration when Ruth played. There are only 8 teams in each league (AL, NL). There were no non-white players in MLB because of racial segregation. Many of players were not full-time professional players. Balls were made with different materials. Different rules. Pitchers were allowed to use their own saliva, for instance. it's hard to imagine that he was facing so many different pitches today's pitchers throw (such as slider, splitter, sweeper, sinker, cutter, etc) It's hard to imagine that there were enough pitchers threw over 95 mph plus fast ball (let alone over 100) back then. He didn't have to face so many different teams and players. He didn't face top level players from around the world. Also, Ruth only played both at the plate and on the mound for only two seasons (1918 and 1919 as Red Sox) and didn't play simultaneously. He didn't pitch on a regular basis (line every 5, 6 days). According to Jay Jaffe, who specializes in research of national baseball hall of fame, Ruth went 27 days in between 1918 and pitched 15 games between May and July and only pitched a couple more in 1919. Shohei still bats a day before/a day of/ a day after he pitches. These are stats: Ruth: 20 games pitched, 13-7, 11 homeruns in 1918 Ruth: 17 games pitched, 9-5, 29 homeruns in 1919 Shohei: 23 games pitched, 9-2, 46 homeruns in 2021 Shohei: 28 games pitched, 15-9, 34 homeruns in 2022 Shohei: 16 games pitched, 7-4, 31 homeruns (as of 07/03/23) Shohei is the only player who has 10 plus wins and 30 plus homeruns in the same year. This is his 6th season as a two-way player in MLB and the third season as a both cy-young, MVP caliber player.

[@davidchodds]

Ronaldo and Messi are out of this world for sure. The best ever! But now imagine that they have to play goal keeper and are the best goalies that ever played. That's the point.

[@kadiecarrell3959]

And yuzuru hanyu got that peoples honor award. Gooooo YUZU

[@mocrg]

A stat from Sept 2022- Shohei Ohtani currently has thirty-four home runs; this stat is the sixth most out of any hitter in the 2022 MLB season. He also has one hundred eighty-eight strikeouts, a stat that is the eighth most out of any pitcher in the 2020 MLB season.

[@Harry-rd8xd]

A pitcher only plays about every 4th game. A batter plays every game, so he is more important. Unless it's just for one game like the deciding game of the world series.

[@KeepItReal213]

Then why do pitchers get paid so much more than batters?

[@legochickenguy4938]

Most pitchers end up getting "Tommy John" surgery to repair a ligament in their elbow that often gets damaged from pitching a lot. It takes a whole year approximately to recover from. Also, I don't think anyone would be able to agree on your question of whether a great hitter or great pitcher is more valuable to a team; they're approximately equal in value.

[@antonioduverge3558]

By the way, Japan won the World baseball Classic for several days ago, and that was epic!! Who won the most valuable player, you guess it right, Ohtani!! Now people are talking about a contract that could pass the 500 millions dollar for 10 to 13 years, he is not a robot but he is not from this planet.

[@evanlambster1134]

I would say good pitching is more important and valuable to a team than good batting

[@Ceexx23]

The reason is decided. There is no one like him now

[@Khaoki]

Top hitters are usually considered more valuable if only because they can impact many more games than top starting pitchers can. That said, Ohtani produces like players who have received $300+ million contracts in either facet of the game so he's about to get a gargantuan payday after this season

[@mirikaku5811]

Not sure! Pitchers control the game. That is why the best pitchers are the top paid. The highest AAV are both pitchers Verlander and Scherzer

[@nmc400]

to pitch and hit, he's got a psychotic obsession with the game.

[@lazyidiotofthemonth]

Tommy john surgery is a surgery where they replace a ligament in the elbow with either a donor ligament or a different vestigial ligement from a person's leg that is not actually needed(because it is from a leg it is considerably stronger as well. And for the record Hockey players are much better athletes than either Soccer or baseball players.

[@User_32]

Imagine if Messi played a game and scored a hat trick and then the next day he plays keeper and blocks ten shots on goal. That is what Shohei is doing in baseball on a regular basis

[@jessescott775]

You'd have an argument with Messi if he was the best striker AND the best keeper in the world. That's how rare Ohtani is

[@CaptainNippon]

You're missing a lot of the facts here mate. 1. He's very happy playing baseball, team Japan just won the World Baseball Classic and he won the MVP. It was the happiest moment of his life so far. 2. The $1,000 monthly allowance thing was ONLY when he was playing in Japan, he has been playing in the US for the past 5 years now and his family stays in Japan. 3..He gave up about $200 million so he can play in the US earlier, there are rules and policies when players from Japan come over to the US. In order for Japanese players to sign a full contract they have to be 25 or 26 years old, Ohtani came over when he was 23 years old, so he was forced to sign a lesser contract because he was not eligible for the full contract. He will be a free agent this winter and his contract could be worth $600-$800 million for 10 years or so, he is expected to get roughly $65 million this year from salary and endorsements. Sounds like he made the right decision playing baseball.

[@jamesmarshall4364]

trout highlight reel next plz

[@ontrack16]

If you haven't done a Bo Jackson react, there's a Jim Thorpe-like man (another legend from way back in the day) :)

[@khaikhuc1432]

He's virtually comparable to Messi with goalkeeping skill of Casillas, and Cristiano's work ethic.

[@TheBlackWaltz]

The pitcher vs batter is a strange one. In a single game the pitcher is the single most important element in any sport. Every single at bat is a 1v1 between the pitcher and the hitter. But over a season a single hitter is generally more important at the high end. Pitching is the most important thing over all. But generally a hitter has so many more chances to affect the record. But for a single game, it's all about pitching.

[@mirikaku5811]

Pitcher is equivalent to quarterback

[@prism_as2355]

BO Knows who the real goat is

[@peterparker642]

"nah he's playing madden" BRO

[@romanclay1913]

Babe Ruth was the white Shohei Ohtani.

[@Gorillamon]

Damn so he’s the tank, dps, and healer. Got it

[@NonaMe-vp8wp]

Robot???? No, it’s called “DEDICATION “.

[@marksibley4546]

What about Connor McDavid of Hockey … Skating and handling puck and shooting the puck

[@AJK666007]

So he's basically crickets equivalent of an all rounder?

[@melissah8415]

He sure seems happy. He laughs and goofs around with his teamates, and usually has a smile on his face off the field. You can bet he'll be happy when he retires and has a steady income from his savings and investments. The money he gets from his endorsement deals MORE than make up for the money he gave up to sign with an MLB team when he did.

[@bizzz.R]

$700M - 10 years. Legend

[@LFNZE]

to put it in this way, this is like if Messi played as a goalkeeper and striker/forward, and being top 3 in both positions in the entire season.

[@DiogenesDaDawg1010]

$500,000,000 + contract coming soon

[@carlnilssonyoung8961]

Imagine your goal keeper is the premier league best goal scorer.

[@bobsyoruncle4583]

A team with an elite pitching staff and average hitters will be more successful than a team with elite hitters and average pitching. An elite pitcher can shut down the best offensive lineups.

[@hardtackbeans9790]

Susceptible to injury probably knocks him down a notch or two. But it sounds like he thrives (obsessed with?) baseball. So pile it on him I guess. This would be a career ending path for most players but maybe he is completely different.

[@koki84ji7]

Claim: Ohtani is the greatest athlete Proof: he works really hard and plays while he sleeps and he is like super duper dedicated guys... 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@brockelley09]

Rumors are saying he’s going to get paid around $600 million when his contract with the Angels is up. If he’s not happy now, I’m sure he’ll feel better after that payday.

[@exia0616]

That's the rumor, but personally I feel he will sign a lesser contract on a contender team so that the team can use the rest to sign players who can help them win.

[@BritishGuy22]

His mum will be very happy by the sounds of it haha

[@adanalyst6925]

@@exia0616 seeing how he doesn’t seem as motivated by money, but by being the best I could see it.

[@hifijohn]

The number one sport in japan is baseball.

[@melissah8415]

No, all the best are NOT selfish.

[@jaredjordan6634]

Tommy John is UCL repair surgery

[@Joker-no1uh]

I think he's got 7 championships to go before he ties Brady. Nobody cares about stats without championships

[@noahmcdaniel4920]

His injuries were so overblown. The knee surgery wasn't even an injury. It was to repair a birth defect. He was born with two kneecaps in the same knee and it started causing irritation. And Tommy John is a surgery literally 25% of all active pitchers have had (and came back from). Sure Tommy John can often mean a pitcher doesn't come back as strong, but if there was anyone who could crush their rehab, not to mention lose a little velocity and still be a great pitcher, it's Ohtani.

[@PristineTX]

We get that you are from the UK, and don’t understand the sport, but to compare Messi or Ronaldo so flippantly is just a “gut feeling” reaction. I’m sympathetic to your reaction, but it’s not really based on anything concrete. Baseball is a game of analysis. Baseball statistics go back much farther than the existence of The National League or Major League Baseball. Baseball has been meticulously keeping statistics since the before advent of professional baseball in 1860. Baseball cards (which have also been around since the 1860s) made statistics commonplace even for little kids to memorize. Baseball has been described as “a sport for statisticians, mathematicians, and actuaries as much as a sport for hitters, pitchers and fielders.” So much so that the entire “fantasy sports” industry started with baseball’s obsession with statistics. Also, many best-selling books and even a top-charting Hollywood movie, “Moneyball,” with Brad Pitt was created about baseball statistics. The records go back much longer than European football, and keep track of a far wider range of statistics than we have for any other sport. Ohtani is doing things that haven’t been done in those 150+ years of statistics. Because they’ve been too hard for anyone else to do. When people talk about Ohtani’s accomplishments, they can point to this extensive record. And don’t worry about Ohtani too much. Anybody who has watched a handful of Ohtani’s games doesn’t worry if he’s happy. He’s having a blast. One of the reasons Americans have come to live him is because of the obvious, simple JOY he has for the game while he’s out there. It’s like watching a kid play the game. Even watching on TV, you can’t help but smile at someone who is having so much fun.

[@gn7867]

“Apparently” ???? 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@SteveDave211]

And yet his Bi Player talent hasnt helped that team even get a winning record before and since and he has been their. He doesnt pitch 200 Innings so it does not help his team win games in season and since he pitches more it has affected his hitting which is why he lost the MVP vote. He would be better if he was in the postseason to balance both sides like the WBC(he chose the Angels so dont feel sorry for him) yet in the 162 Game season he is just a niche talent that doesnt help his team win unlike Brady and Messi or LeBron or Sidney Crosby. If he pitched 220 Innings or got 55 HR his team would be in the postseason yet by doing both it limits how much he can win. He used to play the OF yet him and his team worried that extra throwing would effect his pitching which is why he DHs limiting him as a all around player. Not hating I luv Ohtani yet he is more helpful in the post season than regular.

[@manciti4709]

imagine having both mo salah & sergio ramos on your club...for the price of one...scoring goals & properly preventing goals from the opposition...all in one man...that is shohei ohtani...he can do both @ the same time...score goals for u while properly defending...he is a striker as well as a full back...essentially a manager's dream...in terms of efficiency & overall value

[@Odioelfútbol]

Sin duda alguna es el mejor atleta dél mundo si lo vemos bien puede jugar bien fútbol basketball y todos los deportes puede aguantar 90 minutos corriendo y hacer regates tiene buena puntería cómo para jugar basketball y humilde dejen de decir pendejadas que es el mejor atleta dél mundo solo que el béisbol no es muy popular pero el mejor atleta dél mundo es othani

[@mirikaku5811]

Its exaggerated!! He is out for dinners! He just needed to tell when he was going out because he was young and the team wanted him not to be dragged into alcohol and womanizing. As for money, sponsors give him EVERYTHING! No need to buy anything. He is HAPPY!! He always want to play baseball thats why he declined $200 million to come earlier than eligible for full free agency.

[@rumblestylskyn]

Although Messi does have an argument for one of the greatest season in sports, Messi doesn't really play defense. Ohtani is putting up legendary stats in both offense and defense.

[@daytonexplains7042]

Position players are more valuable because they play everyday, pitches only pitch once every 5 games

[@Connorshsh]

Pitching is more important. You need more of them. Every baseball player from childhood knows there best shot to get to the big leagues is as a pitcher because they make up half the roster. This isn't to say you don't need hitters because you certainly do but poor pitching can completely ruin a game for you especially late innings

[@TRON0314]

Brady isn't the greatest. Just the most with longevity. It's a crap shoot. Brady didn't say not to run Marshawn, or drink bleach before calling the Falcon's plays.

[@johnduval6377]

Get back to me when he wins 7 world series!!!

[@joemax4535]

Messi?? sorry no soccer player would survive in any american sport.Image him even trying to a baseball,even at high school pitching speeds.

[@mikehunt368]

Bo Knows….. this is false…

[@Gantzz321]

there is not way any Football player of any generation has ever been the greatest athlete in the world. Best at the sport sure, but not athlete. To much rolling on the ground over to be called an athlete.

[@DFusions_]

Shoheis Team Japan teammates Roki Sasaki & Yoshinobu Yamamoto, are both insane pitchers like him If im correct Roki threw 102 in high school & in their first starts in the WBC Roki & Yamamoto combined for 16 strikeouts 8 SO each, they're both nasty Japan makes such filthy pitchers